Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2013 - Day 115
Passage of the Day: Psalms 127: 2 [In the context of verses 1-2] [NLT] ……
1 Unless the LORD builds a house, the work of the builders is useless. Unless the LORD protects a city, guarding it with sentries will do no good.
2 It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones.
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Contextual Study of today’s passage: Psalms, Chapter 127 [NLT] … Go to this link …
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Reference Passage #1: Proverbs 3: 5-6 : [Does our work reflect our trust?] …[NLT] …
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. 6 Seek His will in all you do, and He will direct your paths.
My Journal for Today: Wouldn’t we say that being diligent at our work, our career, or our profession was a good ethical value? Of course we would. Didn’t Ben Franklin say it? “Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise?”
Yes, … I think we’d agree that diligence is a good value in the workplace or in life; but is it “DUE DILIGENCE or rather “DO diligence?” By that I mean if we’re working hard, even driving our self for whatever we define as “success,” … why are we doing it? Is it for the outcomes; … maybe it’s to be seen by others – possibly the boss – as better than others; … or perhaps, as a Christian, our “due diligence” is to honor God and to shine HIS light of obedience, knowing that obedience to His will through His word will have all the providence we need to live in this life … as God has provided for us.
BINGO!!! … That’s the essence of what my devotional editor and blogger, Os Hillman, is trying to get across in his workplace devotional entry for today. As he puts it, “God has made it clear that obedience is the assurance of provision. Whenever we go beyond the normal workday due to fear of non-provision, we are operating in unbelief. We are saying that it is up to us to make things happen. Sure, there are times when we work longer hours due to a deadline, but we must be sure the motive is not out of fear of loss or fear of non-provision. If we are obedient to what God has called us to, He will provide our every need. This can be a hard lesson for goal-oriented workplace believers.”
What about us and our work? Are we one of those perfectionistic, Type-A people who are driven to do more, working later, or doing all we can to make sure we’re seen as better than the next guy (or gal)? Are we working hard to be seen as working hard and producing more because we’re fearful that we’re not producing enough? Or are we doing what we’re doing, knowing and trusting that God is leading us to do what we do; and we have faith that our “due diligence,” being for Him, will be rewarded by His due providence?
Because, … if our “do diligence” is for others or because of fear of reprisal, it is not “due diligence” for the Lord; and we need to re-evaluate why we’re working the way we work. Yes, I’ve quoted that verse again I do so often here in my blogs from Proverbs 3: 5-6, which just seems to apply over and over again, doesn’t it? Our Christlike “due diligence” should be a reflection of our “due trust” in our Lord to provide for us because we’re working for HIS glory and not out of our own fear that we’re not doing enough to produce what our own hands can produce.
I’ll leave it to you to ponder this, as I am this morning, … meditating on why we’re doing what we do and for whom (or should I say for Whom – with a Capital “W”?).
My Prayer for Today … Lord, I pray that what I do in life, and how I do it, is for You, knowing that You will provide all I need. … Amen
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